1. Field of the Invention
The present invention concerns a device and a method for separating particles contained in a fluid by means of a separating arrangement, which has at least one feed duct and at least two discharge ducts, said separating arrangement having a measuring device for sensing the separation level and provided with the discharge ducts, a control arrangement connected to the measuring device and comprising at least one respective arrangement for changing the cross section of at least one of the discharge ducts, said respective arrangement being connected to the measuring device.
The device and the method are suitable in particular for the treatment of biological fluids, such as milk or blood for example, being known in the latter case by the term plasmapheresis. This is understood to mean the mechanical separation of solid blood constituents and plasma after blood has been taken, plasmapheresis usually being carried out by means of a separating arrangement having a centrifuge.
2. Description of the Prior Art
There are numerous devices for automated blood donation, so-called haemapheresis, with which the required blood components, such as erthrocytes, thrombocytes, leucocytes, plasma etc., can be specifically collected, all of which devices operate on the centrifugal principle and have not only a considerable space requirement but also a high weight, of the order of magnitude of 20 to 200 kg, and are correspondingly expensive. These cell separators, which are used for removing whole blood, also require an extracorporeal amount of blood of the order of magnitude of 500 ml, it being important not to exceed a maximum throughflow in order to ensure satisfactory functioning of the centrifuge used for the separation.